Abstract: The present invention provides for methods for treating bottoms sludge and water-oil interphase emulsions present in a containment vessel by injecting into the sludge an effective resolving amount of an oil-based demuislfier. In a preferred embodiment, the containment vessel is a desalter containing a bottoms sludge layer, a water/brine layer, a water-oil interphase emulsion layer and a hydrocarbon layer and the demulsifier is injected through the mud wash header.

Abstract: A method for accelerating the settling of finely divided solids in hydrocarbon fluids comprising adding to the hydrocarbon a sufficient settling amount of a polyacrylic acid adducted alkylphenol-formaldehyde resin alkoxylate compound. Preferably, the hydrocarbon is a fluid catalytic cracker slurry containing spent catalyst fines.

Abstract: A plurality of inflation devices are linked to one another to form a loop that is movably restrained so that a segment of the loop is disposed at a lower reference location at the given depth in a first body of water, another segment of the loop is disposed at an upper reference location situated above the lower reference location, another segment of the loop extends along a first path that extends generally upward from the lower reference location to the upper reference location, and another segment of the loop extends along a second path that extends generally parallel to the first path and upward from the lower reference location to the upper reference location. At least a majority of the inflation devices occupying the first path are inflated with gas and at least a majority of the inflation devices occupying the second path are deflated so that inflation devices in the first path move upward and inflation devices in the second path move downward.